Thank you to everyone who is reading, reviewing, favouring, following this story. Your support means the world to me. My apologies for the delay in this chapter. It has been a hectic two weeks.
I hope you enjoy this chapter.
My scream still ringing in the air was silenced as a shot rang out and the strange twisted woman who had been coming for me fell limp as the bullet passed through her head. I scrambled to my feet and looked around to find the source of the bullet. "Hello?"
"Keep it down would ya?" A male voice said from behind me. I turned quickly and found him watching me. His hair was a mass of messy brown layers, and his green eyes looked friendly enough. "What?"
"Sorry, thank you for saving me." I mumbled out.
"Gotta stay quiet, they have real good hearing."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Trial and error, and I have seen every damn zombie movie known to man. I'm kind of an expert." He explained.
"So that's what these are?"
"Yup. Don't know how or why but that is what they are. They go down with a head shot and nothing else. A bite will kill ya. You burn up like you have the flu and then you die. After death you come back as one of these things." He said. I'm sure my face was the picture of shock as he spoke so confidently about what was going on in the world now. "I'm Ben by the way." He said extending his hand for me to shake. I took it lightly as I answered with my own name.
"Beth."
"Nice to meet you Beth. Now let's get out of the city before we get mobbed by more of these things. I gotta friend waiting in Jersey."
"Where are you headed?" I questioned quietly as we walked through the streets and towards a subway station.
"Anywhere away from giant populations." He told me. "Where are you heading?"
"I need to get to Georgia."
"That's a long way south. What's down there?"
"My daughter. I need to get back to her. I'm from a farm in a very small town and I know there is enough supplies and water in the wells to last a long while."
"Well if you don't mind Katie and me coming along we can help get ya back to your daughter." He said.
"And you're sure Katie won't mind?"
"Nah we got nothing else to do besides, you seem pretty cool so far." He said. To me he was the epitome of hipster. He looks about my age or younger, his hair looks like it is probably done this way every day, zombies or not, and his attitude screams who cares.
"Thank you Ben." He smiled at me and then we fell into a comfortable silence as we walked.
.
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.
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We went down into the subway station, hoping over the barriers. No trains were in sight and the usual hum of electricity was gone, as were the lights. He pulled a few flashlights from his bag and we made our way down onto the tracks. Somehow he knew which way to walk that kept us heading towards Jersey, I always wanted to explore New York I just didn't think it would be this way.
The tunnels were silent except for our footfalls for a good twenty minutes. "Only about another half hour walk to Jersey." He said and within seconds low moaning sounded out in front of us. "Here." He said handing me a giant machete. "Aim for the head remember." He lifted the flashlight up to reveal three of the walkers. I decided to call them that instead of zombies, it seemed to make more sense to me. I walked forward cautiously, my cowboy boots clicking on the tracks as I walked. A girl about my size lunged for me and I thrust out my arm letting the machete connect with her head through the eye socket. I pulled back trying to free the blade but it was stuck. I pulled a little harder and I tumbled over landing on my butt. The girl came falling down with me which somehow gave me the leverage to pull the blade free. I wiggled out from under her weight and stood up again. My clothing covered in blood and brain matter. I cringed slightly as I looked to see Ben finishing off the last walker in this part of the tunnel.
"You good?" I questioned.
"Yeah you?"
"Yeah, I'm disgusting now but I'm good." I told him. With our flashlights up again we started moving again, this time at a bit faster of a pace.
Jumping up onto the platform and finding our way up to the top we had finally made it to Jersey with very little incident. The sun was setting in the distance and the idea of night out in the open scared me. "Come on this way." He said pointing towards a small housing subdivision.
"Are we staying here over night?"
"Yeah no point walking all night. It'll be good to get cleaned up and rest before we started heading south."
"Cleaned up sounds great." I laughed a little. A few more minutes and he was knocking some kind of code into the front door of a two story house with a gnome on the front yard. After he finished the knock a petite blond girl with brown eyes and a big smile opened the door. "You must be Katie."
"Hi."
"Kate this is Beth, found her trying to get out of the city."
"Nice to meet you Beth. Come in so I can lock up." We did as instructed and she placed a bored over the door and triple locked it. I looked around and noticed boards on all the windows as well as heavy blankets to block out the light. "I have dinner made." I followed Ben over to a kitchen tucked in the back of the house, the windows were all covered in here too and a pot of what looked like stew was cooking on the gas stove.
"Is there some place I can clean up?" I asked her nicely. She smiled at pointed to the stairs leading up to the top floor.
"Bathroom is at the end of the hall in the master bedroom. There is still hot water as the pilot light is still on so enjoy."
"Thank you so much." I told her as I made my way with my bag up to the bathroom. This is the kind of house that would cost a lot of money before everything started to fall apart. I quickly stripped out of my clothes and turned the water on as hot as I could stand it. The spray felt amazing after a long day of walking and running. Who knew when I would get a shower again after this so I savoured the moment as long as I could. With my hair and body scrubbed I climbed out and found a new pair of clothes in my bag. I pulled my boots back on and tossed the dirty clothes into the tub and filled it with water and soap. I hoped I could get it clean enough to keep wearing as most of my clothes had to be left behind.
"Welcome back, how was the shower?" Katie questioned as I made my way back down the stairs to join them at the large dining table. I could see elaborate holiday parties being held in this room, with family laughing and talking about the silliest of things. A life I left behind in Georgia.
"Amazing. Thank you for not kicking me out as soon as you saw me." I said to her.
"Oh no way I wouldn't do that. Besides if Ben think's your good to go then I agree with him. So Georgia?"
"Yes, are you okay…" I started to say.
"Of course who doesn't love an adventure?" With that it seemed as though our plans were set. In the morning we would pack what we could and take off towards my home. I just hope Sydney and my parents are still there and alive.
Okay so I know this is shorter than most but the next one should be longer and coming a lot sooner than this did. Please let me know what you think. I love to hear from you!
